Hessen. Erleben Sie ein Land der Kontraste!

Company Profile

Welcome to Hessen! - Come on a tour of discovery.Hessen Agentur is the service agency of the State of Hessen. We implement projects, campaigns and promotion activities and act as a consultantcy and “Think Tank”. Our ambition is to support the State of Hessen as well as several other public institutions to meet the targets regarding the economic development promotion in Hessen at its best. HA Hessen Agentur GmbH's tourism and congress marketing is a competence centre for advertising and marketing Hessian regions and towns domestically and abroad. It concentrates on the market segments Outdoor & Countryside, City breaks, Spa & Wellness as well as Meetings & Conventions.

Set in the centre of Germany, the Hessian regions and cities offer attractive holiday and leisure opportunities for hikers, cyclists, culture and nature lovers, anyone wishing to relax and families. Idyllic half timbered towns and big city flair, over 3,300 kilometres of Hessian long distance cycle paths, countless cultural events, 30 spas and therapeutic baths, over 2,100 kilometres of quality-tested hiking paths, twelve UNESCO World Heritage sites, castles, schlosses and museums in abundance - Hesse is a state of contrasts.

With 200,000 indirect and direct jobs, around 12 billion euros of gross sales from overnight stay and day trip tourism and a share of around 3.8 per cent of the state's income, tourism is as much an important economic and image factor as it is a sector of the future in Hesse. In comparison with other German federal states Hesse is currently in 5th place nationally with 31 million overnight stays.

Cultural Highlights

Cultural Highlights – our Top 6

1.UNESCO World Heritage sites: Hesse is proud of its World Heritage sites. You too can be enchanted by the UNESCO World Heritage sites in Hesse – the Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch, the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, the Upper German-Raetian Limes, Messel Pit Fossil Site, the Kellerwald-Edersee National Park (Ancient Beech Forests of Germany) and the Bergpark's Hercules Monument and water Features in Kassel. UNESCO Memory of the World: Metropolis“, silent motion picture in Wiesbaden, the Children's and Household Tales by the Brothers Grimm in Kassel, the Lorsch Pharmacopoeia, The "Golden Bull" and the document collections of the International Tracing Service in Bad Arolsen.

2. Culinary delights: Food and drink is an important theme for Hesse, and the local food and wine is really worth a try. The wine-regions Rheingau and Bergstraße are famous for their Riesling and various regions in Hesse for their apple wine production. www.hessen-alacarte.de

3.Castles and abbeys: The many old castles and abbeys in Hesse are the bearers of history. From the Frankenstein castle close to Darmstadt to the Sababurg castle in the northern part of Hesse – there are more than 350 castles to be found in the region. Hesse also has various well known abbeys like the Eberbach abbey in the Rheingau region. www.schloesser-hessen.de

4. Museums: The art museum “Alte Meister” is an absolute highlight in the Kassel museum landscape, to which also the biggest hillside park in Europe belongs, the “Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe”. Various museums are situated in Frankfurt am Main , like the “Kunstmuseum Städel".www.museen-in-hessen.de

5. Citys: Bad Homburg v. d. Höhe is more than just a spa town – it is a wellness oasis with city casino, situated only 25 minutes away from Frankfurt . www.bad-homburg.deDarmstadt is the city of Jugendstil. Mathildenhöhe, the century old and outstanding artist colony, is an absolute highlight. www.darmstadt.de. Frankfurt am Main is the historical city of coronations and of Goethe. www.frankfurt.de The Baroque town of Fulda sparkles with its many baroque buildings and history. www.fulda.de The spirit of innovation continues to drive the long-established university town of Giessen. www.giessentourismus.deHanau is the birth place of the Brothers Grimm, commemorated by a national memorial of the famous writers. www.hanau.de The world famous exhibition of contemporary art “documenta” takes place in Kassel – next in 2017. www.kassel-tourist.de The City of Marburg is an old university city on the Lahn River www.marburg.deOffenbach is a center for the leather industry - the German Leather Museum is worth a visit www.offenbach.de ! Wiesbaden is the capital state of Hesse. One of its “must sees” is the famous “Kurhaus” with its historical casino. www.wiesbaden.deWetzlar: The timber-framed and Baroque ensemble is surrounded by a ring of parks. www.wetzlar.de

6. The Brothers Grimm – Hesse's world famous collectors of fairly tales – were born in Hanau, grew up in Steinau and worked in Kassel and Marburg. A guidebook on the subject of the Grimms is available under www.fabulous-hesse.com

Health, Active and Nature

Health and Fitness HolidaysThe Hesse region offers a wide variety of spa resorts and spa traditions that were brought to Hesse by the Romans. Cities like Wiesbaden, Bad Homburg, Bad Wildungen, Bad Orb and Kassell are famous worldwide for their spas, and, with their beautiful surroundings are perfect places to recharge the batteries. In Hesse body and soul are in tune. The spa visit in Hesse is accompanied by modern, high quality hotels offering the perfect combination of traditional spa and modern way of life. Information about the 30 hessian spas: Hessischer Heilbäderverband e. V. www.hessische-heilbaeder.de

Active Lifestyle and Nature Be it a professional sport of the highest calibre or recreational activities, the Hesse region has something to offer every sports and nature enthusiast. Play a relaxing round of golf at one of the region’s many picturesque golf courses, go on a hiking tour through the very serene Hochtaunus Park or the scenic Rheingau, discover the stalagmite caves in Steinau or take part in a canoe tour, sailing regatta or cruise on rivers like the Nidda, Lahn, Fulda, Weser, Main or Rhine. Vast gardens, beautiful parks, historical spa facilities, botanical collections and herb gardens, idyllic valleys, rolling hills and an extensive regional park represent the relatively unknown and unexpected side of Hesse. Become acquainted with the region’s stunning natural beauty through a cycling tour along the beautiful river banks or a hiking tour through the vineyards that offer trails for all levels of expertise.

Hiking Different parts of Hesse offer a great variety of hiking routes. Many of them, like the “Rheinsteig”, the “Nibelungensteig” or the “Rothaarsteig”, are honoured with the quality seal of the German Hiking Association, which makes it a reliable choice for a hiking-vacation. A total of 2,100 kilometres of quality-tested hiking paths await enthusiasts in Hesse. Various brochures and detailed maps give the guests the reassurance of not getting lost, but there is also opportunities to hike with a guided tour. In Hesse there are many theme-trails to follow.

Biking Hesse has a network of over 3,300 kilometres of long distance cycle paths suitable for all abilities and ages. The cycle route planner in the internet (www.radroutenplaner.hessen.de) makes it possible to find a route optimally taking cyclist friendly "Bed & Bike" accommodation into account. A range of cycle paths along former railway routes offers cycling enjoyment without extreme climbs. In this manner the 245 kilometre long Hessian Railway Cycle Path connects the Volcano Cycle Path in the Vogelsberg with the Milseburg Cycle Path in the Rhön.

Touring on the waterThe rivers in the Hesse region offer many water-based activities like canoeing or river cruises, which can take place the whole year around. The months between April and October are particularly ideal for these activities because of the mild summer climate. There are both campsites and a range of hotels available along the hiking rivers. The best known river for canoe tours is the Lahn, which flows through important historic towns such as Marburg,Wetzlar, Weilburg and Limburg

MICE

Relaxing meetings in Bad HomburgThe KongressCenter in the Kurhaus Bad Homburg is located in the city centre on the boundary of the Kurpark, one of the most beautiful parks in Europe.

Forward looking meetings in DarmstadtDarmstadt is a city of science and is also known as the centre of the "Jugendstil". The darmstadtium is located in this inspiring environment –the ideal meeting place for science, business and culture.

International meetings in FrankfurtFrankfurt is Europes largest trade fair location and one of its most important finance locations. The Frankfurt Convention Bureau is your professional contact for all convention decision.

Baroque meetings in FuldaThe Kongresszentrum Esperanto and the the baroque convention rooms in the Orangerie with the adjoining Hotel Maritim promises a really special convention experience.

Fairy tale meetings in HanauThe birthplace of the Brothers Grimm offers the Congress Park Hanau (CPH)- directly on the boundary of the historic Old Town.

Artistic meetings in KasselThe imposing Kongress Palais Kassel is in the middle of the city. As one of the most beautiful historic convention centres it combines highly stylish tradition with the modern.

Eventful meetings in WetzlarThe Goethe and optics town Wetzlar offers a wide range of convention locations such as the Rittal Arena ot the Stadthalle Wetzlar.

Exclusive meetings in WiesbadenWiesbaden is one of the oldest spas in Europe. The 100 year old Kurhaus is a multi-function events centre.an the Rhein-Main-Hallen offers over20,000 square metres of floor space.

Group Offers

Hesse is a region easily reached from all over the world, whether visitors arrive by, train, car, public transportation, or even by bike or foot. Several tailor-made tours exist to make travelling in Hesse easy for guests, whether travelling alone, in a group or with their family. Arrangements for less mobile visitors have also been made to make the region’s beauty available to everyone. If a group wants to visit Hesse, they can choose from a wide range of tailor-made packages with themes appealing to all interests. Culture and music, city breaks and short trips, hiking and biking tours, trips for schools and young people – are just a few of the many themes for groups with individual programmes that also include high standards of accommodation. To go by coach through the region is a comfortable way to see all the highlights of interest, and several cities have special arrangements for coach tourism. www.hessen-salesguide.com

Barrier-free Travel

FIT

"Hesse is a region to fall in love with. Visitors who take the time to discover the hidden pearls of the region, are surprised at the variety of attractions there are within short distances. Going on an individual trip to Hesse offers the opportunity of going on an exciting adventure and discovering German traditions at their source. The ability to rent a car, go biking or hiking or move around on public transport provides many opportunities for guests.

There are plenty of accommodation offers in Hesse, ranging from hotels, guesthouses, farms and campsites, to hostels of all categories. The right accommodation for individual tastes and budgets can be found in any city or area of the region.

AmenitiesMany cities in Hesse offer amenities for activities within a certain city or area.